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OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME 2019/20 SEASON • VOLUME 02 ISSUE 05
FA WOMEN’S CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CUP THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2019 KICK-OFF 7.30 pm
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CONTENTS
WELCOME It seems a long time since the Reds last lined up at Leigh Sports Village but the good news is we now have two home outings in just four days, starting with the visit of the Foxes in the Continental League Cup. While we’ll start tonight’s game at the top of Group C, with Manchester City and Birmingham also on six points we have work to do to make the last eight, with the top two advancing. Remember: if it’s level after 90 minutes tonight, both teams will take a point, with a bonus point up for grabs in a penalty shoot-out. You can read all about last weekend’s WSL game at Chelsea in Sunday’s Brighton programme, with tonight’s match centre (p7) focusing on our wins against Everton and Reading (pictured above). It’s been a wonderful few weeks for Kirsty Hanson, and in our latest big interview (p20) the winger tells us all about her Scotland debut, and being named WSL Player of the Month.
MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz,
p4
Casey Stoney column
p7
Match centre
Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson,
p11 Katie Zelem column
Secretary Rebecca Britain
p12 News
Martin Edwards
Ed Woodward, Richard Arnold, Michael Edelson, Sir Bobby David Gill CBE Honorary president
p15 Fred’s fan zone/gallery p20 Kirsty Hanson exclusive p27 Siobhan Chamberlain p30 Tonight’s opposition
PROGRAMME TEAM Editor Charlie Ghagan Editor-in-chief Ian McLeish Contributors, Michael Plant, Adam Bath, Feargal Brennan
p33 Player and team statistics
Design Anthony Moore Photography Ash Donelon, Siobhan Chamberlain, John & Matt Peters, Getty, PA Thanks to Haylee Howe, Harriet Drudge, Dan Smith / Leicester City John Shiel / MuPrint.com © Manchester United 2019
Manchester United Women v Brighton Hove Albion
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HEAD COACH
CASEY STONEY THE HEAD COACH’S COLUMN
Speaking ahead of the Chelsea game, the boss insists we need to show the right mentality tonight if we are to reinforce our position at the top of Group C Good evening and welcome to Leigh Sports Village, for what is the first of our three cup ties this season to be played under the floodlights. We have to be pleased with our progress so far in this competition, with three goals and a clean sheet away to Everton in our last game. We could have kept possession better at times, especially in the first half, but we restricted them to very few chances – their chances came from our mistakes, rather than them opening us up. And for me it was great to see three different names on the scoresheet. That result continued our momentum and winning run heading into a big test at Chelsea, and now for Leicester. Jonathan Morgan’s side might not be in our division, but in these games if you don’t get your mentality or game plan right, you can come unstuck. Every team will want to get a result here and they’ll give everything they’ve got, so we’ve got to be prepared. We want to strengthen our position in the group and we’ll need a good performance. I was really pleased for Amy Turner and Kirsty Hanson when I heard about their Player of the Month awards.
Kirsty is someone who has worked so hard and took her opportunity when it was there. She thoroughly deserved her Scotland call-up, and to then make her debut and be named Player of the Match was a great experience for her. Being named WSL Player of the Month will give her confidence going into the next few games, but Kirsty being Kirsty she’ll continue to keep her head down and work hard and it’s the same with Amy. She missed out on a couple of games earlier in the season, but she’s been training really hard, she’s come in and done well and it was pleasing to see her pick up the fans’ award as well. As far as my new contract goes, I never wanted to go anywhere else and it was pleasing to commit myself to the club for another three years. The fans can see we’re building something special here and I feel we are in a positive place and moving in the right direction. I have so many talented people around me here, so it was great to get that deal done.
04 Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women
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HEAD COACH
Y
he C
“THE FANS CAN SEE WE’RE BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL AND I FEEL WE ARE IN A POSITIVE PLACE... I HAVE SO MANY TALENTED PEOPLE AROUND ME HERE” Manchester United Women v Brighton Hove Albion 08
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Mancheste
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SINCE LAST TIME
MATCH CENTRE
• Reds win 3-0 at Everton for second successive year • Cup victory follows WSL home win against Royals
James rifles home our opener against Everton
Groenen starts another attack at Haig Avenue
KEY STATISTICS ⊲
EVERTON WOMEN 0 MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN 3 SUN 3 NOV, THE PURE STADIUM (LEAGUE CUP) Scorers: James (22), Zelem (79, pen), A Turner (87) Attendance: 361 Line-up: Earps; A Turner, McManus, M Turner, Harris; Ladd, Zelem, Groenen (Toone 70); Hanson, James (Ross 81), Galton (Sigsworth 79). Subs not used: Mikalsen, Okvist, Green, Arnot MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN 2 READING WOMEN 0 SUN 27 OCT, LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGE (WSL) Scorers: Hanson (16), Sigsworth (85) Attendance: 1,997 Line-up: Earps; A Turner, McManus, M Turner, Harris; Ladd, Zelem, Groenen (Toone 90+3); Hanson (Sigsworth 61), James (Ross 87), Galton. Subs not used: Mikalsen, Okvist, Green, Arnot
* Match report for Sunday’s WSL away game against Chelsea will appear in this Sunday’s Brighton programme
Galton impressed once again out wide
Casey Stoney’s Reds began November in the same manner that they negotiated all of October: with a win, three points and a clean sheet. Our winning run was stretched to five games thanks to a 3-0 win over Everton at Southport’s Haig Avenue in the Continental League Cup. Stoney’s side have been lauded for our high-pressing style, and it proved rewarding for United in the 22nd minute, when Kirsty Hanson won the ball high up the pitch and released Lauren James. Our no.16 unleashed a bullet of an effort that crashed into the Everton net. The second half began in a similar vein as the first, with Hanson’s dangerous marauding runs causing countless issues down the right wing. Her cross within the first minute of the second period was headed clear and then James’s subsequent shot was deflected wide. Everton had failed to muster many attempts on target, but did in the 66th minute, when Inessa Kaagman found herself one-on-one with Mary Earps. The stopper made herself big and got a powerful hand to keep the ball out. It proved to be a rare forage into the United half, and 12 minutes from time, the Reds made our dominance pay. James was a nuisance for the Everton defence all day and after a mazy run into the box, she was brought ⊲ Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 07
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SINCE LAST TIME
“WHAT A WIN. WHAT A TEAM. AND ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET... ANOTHER ONEEEE!” – MILLIE TURNER ON TWITTER (v EVERTON)
Hayley Ladd was part of a strong midfield display against the Royals
THE BIG NUMBERS
+1
42%
Goal difference separating us from City and Birmingham in League Cup Group C.
Our possession v Reading – less than the opposition, but we made ours count.
5
4
Our home attendance v Reading was over five times that of Everton away.
Fixtures left in 2019 for the Reds after today, with three away from home.
down by Gabrielle George and a penalty was awarded. Katie Zelem stepped up and confidently dispatched the ball into the top corner to double the lead. When the third goal did come, it was from one of the more unlikely sources: Amy Turner. Our no.4 capitalised on some poor defending as Everton pushed to grab a late goal. Turner powered through the open space and flew down the right, before unleashing a low, driven effort which beat Tinja-Riikka Korpela at her near post. The away win against the Toffees came seven days after the Reds beat Reading Women 2-0 in a more closely fought WSL contest at Leigh Sports Village. Leah Galton came close to netting her first top-flight goal in the first minute, as her shot from out wide was parried away by Reading keeper Grace Moloney. There were two stoppages for head injuries in what was a competitive first 10 minutes. Millie Turner and Reading’s Kristine Leine both required treatment after clashing from a corner, and, minutes later, Lisa-Marie Utland had to be taken off with a nose bleed after going for an aerial duel. And while the Norwegian forward received treatment on the touchline, United made our player advantage count. Galton delivered a terrific ball from the left and Sophie Howard was only able to partly clear the danger before the unmarked Hanson arrived at the far post to volley the Reds into the lead. Inside seven minutes of added time at the end of the first half, a well-worked counterattack almost resulted in United making it 2-0. Again, Galton looked lively down the left and the winger pulled the ball back to Zelem, but her shot flew over the bar and on to the roof of the net. After the break, Reading fired another warning shot to United, as Fara Williams’ quickly taken shot from outside the box fizzed just wide of the target. Chances were few and far between for both sides as the second half progressed, with Reds’ substitute Jess Sigsworth coming as close as anyone after being played in on the right. But with five minutes to go, Jess ensured the points were safe. Groenen delivered a sumptuous through ball and the striker was one-on-one with the keeper, before hitting home emphatically.
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CAPTAIN
KATIE ZELEM THE CAPTAIN’S COLUMN
We’ve made the perfect start in tonight’s competition, but in such a tight group it’s crucial we pick up three more points to keep us ahead of the chasing pack We might have had two big wins against Leicester last season, but as we’ve seen in this competition in recent weeks, anything can happen in a cup game so we’ll need to bring our ‘A’ game tonight. Leicester are a good side and will make it much more difficult than what we’d like it to be. We were certainly pleased with the scoreline from our last League Cup game, away to Everton, which has put us in a good position in our group – just ahead of Manchester City and Birmingham, having played a game less. We had a 3-0 win against Everton last season, which at the time
“CASEY KNOWS HOW MUCH KEEPING THE OPPOSITION OUT MEANS TO US... SO HERE’S TO ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET!”
was a massive result for us, being a Championship side, and that is what we wanted to replicate, which we did. We kept the opposition out again that day, and huge credit goes to the girls in defence and Mary in goal. While we were all delighted for Amy for winning the monthly PFA award, let’s not forget that Mary was nominated too and that was thoroughly deserved. Congratulations to Kirsty also for her WSL award, and for making her senior Scotland debut. That’s what she’s dreamt of since she was a little child, having played through the age groups. I’m sure all the clean sheets we’ve been having is what Casey strived for as a player, and we were all so pleased to hear about her signing a new contract. She instils great qualities and knows how much keeping the opposition out means to us. If we can continue to follow her game plans while working well as individuals, it becomes easier to work collectively. So here’s to another win, with another clean sheet! Enjoy the game.
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NEWS
NEWS ROUND-UP
STONEY SIGNS NEW CONTRACT The big news since our last home fixture was the announcement on 8 November that Casey Stoney had agreed a new contract at Manchester United, in a move that sees her commit her future to the club until at least 2022. Stoney, who became head coach of the newly formed Manchester United Women in June 2018, led the team to instant success by finishing the 2018/19 season as champions of the FA Women’s Championship, resulting in promotion to the Women’s Super League. Stoney said: “I am extremely proud to be involved with Manchester United and I’m honoured to be head coach of such an incredibly hard-working and talented team. I’d like to thank the club for the fantastic support they have given me since we started this journey and for the trust in what we are building here.
“I’d like to mention the fans, whose support has been incredible. Our job is to put on performances for them and keep them coming back week after week, and they continue to do so in their numbers, singing loud and proud from the stands. “Lastly, I must give thanks to my players and staff for the high standards we have set during the last 16 months, both on and off the pitch. We
have a special group that epitomise the values of Manchester United, and there is a hugely exciting future ahead.” Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: “I am delighted that Casey has committed her future to the club; what she has achieved already in such a short space of time has been hugely impressive. Building a team from scratch and gaining
Stoney spoke of her pride in leading the Reds as she signed a contract extension
Extended deal for United’s head coach, who speaks of “hugely exciting future ahead” promotion to the Women’s Super League at the first attempt was outstanding. Casey’s professionalism and commitment to her role as head coach is second to none and is reflected in the team’s performances and results this season. “She has also built on the success of the Girls’ Regional Talent Club and has continued our philosophy of creating a pathway from Academy to first team.” Stoney, 37, retired from playing in 2018 after a distinguished career as a defender, which saw her captain England and win 130 caps, as well as lead the Great Britain team on the pitch at the London 2012 Olympics. Stoney also won 12 major trophies throughout her time as a player at Arsenal, Charlton, Chelsea, Lincoln and Liverpool, and following her retirement she became an assistant to England head coach Phil Neville before taking on her current role.
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NEWS
WEMBLEY START FOR EARPS
l
f ng Our two award winners celebrate Hanson’s goal against Reading last month
OCTOBER AWARDS FOR HANSON AND TURNER
Reds duo take the prizes in both PFA and Barclays WSL fan votes United Women players Amy Turner and Kirsty Hanson have both been recognised for their outstanding displays in October, with defender Turner named PFA Player of the Month, two days after winger Hanson was named Barclays FA WSL Player of the Month. Turner played a vital role in the Reds keeping three clean sheets across October – against Tottenham and Reading in the WSL – and Manchester City in the League Cup, and our versatile no.4 finished ahead of team-mate Mary Earps, Kit Graham (Tottenham), Chloe Kelly (Everton), Fara Williams and Jade Moore (both Reading) in the fans’ vote.
For the Barclays award, Hanson pipped Kerys Harrop (Birmingham), Chloe Kelly, and Arsenal duo Vivianne Miedema and Danielle van de Donk to the prize. Hanson scored in both of our WSL wins in October. A first-half effort opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Spurs while she also netted early against Reading, a fine back-post volley for her seventh United goal. Casey Stoney was also on the shortlist for the Barclays FA WSL Manager of the Month award, alongside Arsenal’s Joe Montemurro and Chelsea’s Emma Hayes, but it was Hayes who took the honour after the Blues claimed maximum league points from three matches.
Mary Earps played the full 90 minutes in goal for England at Wembley, as Phil Neville’s side lost 2-1 to Germany in front of a record-breaking crowd of 77,768 for a Lionesses home international. The friendly fixture – for which Earps’ club team-mate Abbie McManus was an unused sub – looked to be heading for a draw until Klara Buhl’s low finish in injury-time won it for the Germans. Earps and McManus were both unused subs three days later as England won 3-2 in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic – a friendly played out in freezing conditions in front of just 300 fans. In Euro 2021 qualification, Hayley Ladd was part of the Wales defence that kept a clean sheet away to Northern Ireland. The result keeps Wales second in Group C, four points behind Norway but with two games in hand. The group runners-up are guaranteed at least a play-off spot.
ROSS HITS 60 FOR SCOTLAND United forward Jane Ross was on the scoresheet, while winger Kirsty Hanson made her international bow, as Scotland Women maintained their perfect start to Euro 2021 qualifying Group E with a thumping 5-0 win away to Albania. Ross scored the second goal – her 60th for Scotland – in the rout, as Shelley Kerr’s side continued the form from their first match, an 8-0 win against Cyprus. Hanson, a late injury replacement for West Ham striker Martha Thomas, was outstanding on her debut, causing the hosts endless problems with her crosses. Fellow United winger Lizzie Arnot was an unused sub, while Scotland regular Kirsty Smith was unavailable through injury. Ross has netted 60 times from 130 caps – only Julie Fleeting has scored more for Scotland
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The best stories are yet to be written The world is watching. The fans are waiting. The players are ready. The new Barclays FA Women’s Super League season is here, and it’s all to play for. Creating opportunities with football. #AllToPlayFor
BarclaysFootball
@BarclaysFooty
Barclays Bank UK PLC. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register number 759676). Registered in England. Registered number 9740322. Registered office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.
WORD SEARCH
FRED’S FAN Z ON E Tonight we kick things off with a tricky word search, before we take a look at some more fab fan photos!
F X FO RC E FIVE! L O S D N Y L O P C M Z Q S N E P F S F V F S B A Y I D S E M A J B V
I
R M Y G K P H T N C P S T E E S S D Z F H V S N O C R M D W L B S B O U O K L M F G O I N L P G Y J
T S S M
K R N F L P
E A H R D M C A T G W I J
L M E Y G H I B H P
I
M P Q E R E E N G K W X H K T N Y U M S V B
J N
These current Reds all found the target when we played Leicester City in the Championship last season – can you locate them in our word search? ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤ ⬤
GREEN HANSON JAMES SIGSWORTH TOONE
(Answers over the page)
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FAN PHOTOS
RE DS ’ GA LL ERY
Send your brilliant pictures and messages (plus any birthday announcements) to us at MUWomenfamily@manutd.co.uk
#11 This is Liam, who was delighted to see Millie Turner come over to meet the fans after the Everton away game. “Turner for England” he says!
“We love you, Amy!” say big United fans Tash and Hannah, who can’t wait to watch the Reds in action against Leicester City this evening.
TAKE FIVE WITH...
LEAH GALTON Where I’m holidaying.. We went to Greece in the off-season – it was beautiful. I also got engaged [to partner Sheridan] so it tops other trips.
What I’m watching... Hello to 16-year-old Laura, seen here with her footballing idol Leah at the Reading game. Laura loves coming to every home fixture.
Marcus was super excited to meet his no.1 player Katie Zelem at the Spurs game. “Thanks for the photo, Katie,” says his proud dad, Rob. Word search answers (previous page): L O S D N Y L O P C M Z Q S N E P F S F V F S B A Y I D S E R M Y G K P T E E S S D O C R M D W O K L M F G
Season ticket holder Poppy had a day to remember as a mascot here at Leigh Sports Village last month, and here she is with Hayley.
M A J B V
I
H T N C P S Z F H V S N
L B S B O U O I T S S M N L P G Y J K R N F L P E A H R D M C A T G W I J L M E Y G H I B H P I M P Q E R E E N G K W X H K T N Y U M S V B J N
Me and Sheridan are on a TV schedule with Bake Off, Olivia & Alex and Celebrity Hunted, plus we can’t wait for I’m a Celebrity...
Where I’m reading... What Made Maddy Run. It’s about the struggles and tragic death of an all-American student athlete. Great book.
Where I’m going... The Old Bank in Orrell – it does a lovely caramel latte.
Making me laugh... Kevin Hart. I can’t wait to see him in the new Jumanji.
16 Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women
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DON’T MISS A GAME
THIS SEASON BUY TICKETS: MANUTD.COM/MUWTICKETS
SNAPSHOT
IN REMEMBRANCE... The players observe a moment’s silence ahead of our last League Cup fixture, on 3 November, to honour those who lost their lives in conflict. This time of year is also highly poignant for this evening’s visitors, with 3 November being the date last year when Leicester City players observed an emotional minute’s silence to remember the death of club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, plus four others, in a helicopter crash seven days earlier – a tragedy that led to the postponement of the inaugural meeting between tonight’s teams, scheduled for that weekend.
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SNAPSHOT
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INTERVIEW
KIRSTY HANSON PROFILE: Date of birth 17 April 1998 Place of birth Halifax, West Yorkshire Position Winger United record 34 apps (22 starts, 12 sub); 7 goals Previous clubs: 2016 Sheffield FC 2017-18 Doncaster Rovers Belles International career Scotland (1 cap, 0 goals)
A
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INTERVIEW
“ALL I’M FOCUSING ON NOW
IS FOOTBALL AN D THAT’S
SUCH A RELIEF” With her university studies completed, the only target for Kirsty Hanson in the months ahead is helping her club – and national team – win games. And boy, has she made some start... You’ve just returned from making your Scotland debut, Kirsty – congratulations! Talk us through the whole experience... It came out of the blue really, it was a last-minute thing [to replace injured forward Martha Thomas]. I got told on the Friday and we met up on the Monday. I was, obviously, over the moon, but I was so surprised because there are so many good players in the squad. It was amazing to train with some of the best, like Kim Little. It helped with the nerves knowing that I knew a few of the girls, like Lizzie [Arnot] and Jane [Ross]. And it was even better to get a start and a win on my senior debut. Did Lizzie and Jane give you any specific advice? They just told me to do my thing; to do what I’ve been doing at club level. That really helped. They told me just to be calm and to play how I always do. It was good to have
them there because they know how I play and I know how they play. Starting up front with Jane was good because we knew each other’s movements. It made it even better. What was it like walking out for the first time wearing the Scotland jersey? It was amazing! Just to pull on the shirt was brilliant, and knowing that my mum and dad were watching back at home made that moment even better. You set up the first goal against Albania, then came close to scoring yourself a few times and won 5-0 – it couldn’t have gone much better… I was quite surprised [to play so well] because I was really nervous. I probably did have a nervy start but I was really happy to get the result and help the team. I thought we all did well and it was good to get the win on my debut.⊲
“TO PULL ON A SCOTLAND SHIRT WAS BRILLIANT. LIZZIE AND JANE TOLD ME JUST TO BE CALM AND TO PLAY HOW I ALWAYS DO” Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 21
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Mancheste
INTERVIEW
Kirsty gets stuck in against Everton, in our last outing in the Continental League Cup
It’s been quite a few weeks for you personally, because you also won the WSL Player of the Month award for October, of course... I was very surprised because there are so many good players in this league, and the players I was up against on the shortlist are world-class. To win it was just amazing. What do you put your recent good form down to? I think it’s just down to hard work. I knew at the end of last season that I wasn’t playing my best, especially because I had university on the side. I just worked hard in pre-season and I was ready to go. I wanted to show Casey what I could do. I’m just glad the hard work has paid off, but I need to make sure it continues. When you’re in the type of form you’re in, you probably just can’t wait for the next match to come around, right? Definitely. Especially when I’m playing alongside the team we have here at United. We’re such a together group and it’s great to play with them. Do you think finishing university and having the extra time on the training ground has made that much of a difference? Yes, definitely – especially off the pitch because I do
my recovery work properly now. I’m always putting the ‘recovery legs’ on – I pretty much live in those things! I get to bed early now and don’t have to worry about getting up early for uni the next day, which it’s great. All I’m focusing on now is football and it’s just such a relief. Getting that balance between playing and studying must have been particularly tough at times... Yeah, it really was. I went to uni in Leeds, studying sports coaching, and I had to drive up there for a night, for class the next morning. That was mostly on my day off as well. Even though I wasn’t doing anything physically, mentally it was really draining. It’s good to not have to worry about that any more. Do you see yourself one day coming back to pursue your degree? Maybe when my playing days end, I could see myself getting into coaching. I’ve always wanted to work with the younger generation, especially young girls. Now that women’s football is growing I want to help young girls get into the game and coach them. Has Casey’s coaching also been a factor in your development since joining the club last summer? Casey gets the best out of everyone. She challenges
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INTERVIEW
finish them in training! So to finish it in the match was great, especially working with Leah [Galton] because we always look for each other at the back post. It was good for it to pay off after we’d been working on it. As it came across I was debating whether to take a touch or not, but I just hit it first time and thankfully it went into the net. It’s probably up there with one of the best goals I’ve ever scored. I don’t think I’d ever scored a volley before.
Her hard work with Leah Galton in training certainly paid off when we faced Reading in our last home game
“CASEY BELIEVES IN ME BUT BELIEF IS SOMETHING I’VE MAYBE LACKED IN MYSELF. I’M STARTING TO GET THERE” you – sometimes you might not enjoy it, but it helps you in the long run. She’s so professional and has such a good knowledge of the game as well. It’s an honour to play for her. She also cares about everyone away from the pitch. Has she given you any different advice or instructions this season? Just to believe in myself more. She believes in me but belief is something I’ve maybe lacked in myself. I’m starting to get there but Casey’s been a massive part of that. In our last home game you scored a great volley against Reading that was nominated for the club’s Goal of the Month award. What was in your mind as that ball came across? We’d been working on it in training and I couldn’t actually
We’ve been in fine form as a team recently. Confidence must be really high among the squad... We’ve just got to take it each game as it comes. Each game is tough and we know that. But we’re starting to really believe in ourselves and believe we can beat these top teams. If we keep listening to Casey and working hard, we’ll get the wins to go with it. We’re scoring goals for fun at the moment – it seems to be a really enjoyable attack to play in? Yeah, we’ve got quality all over the pitch. It’s good to have that and we’re starting to be more clinical now and believing that we can always score. There’s a lot of competition for places in the starting XI, which must help raise the standards across the squad... Definitely. We’ve got two or three players for each position and we’re all positive so we all push each other on. You never know who Casey is going to start and it’s great that we’re pushing each other to get the best from each other. The Continental League Cup is a tournament we did really well in last year, reaching the semi-finals. Are there real aspirations to win it this year? There are. Getting into the final is probably our aim, but we’ll just take each game as it comes. For Leicester, they’re a tough team and we don’t underestimate them. We just need to stick to the game plan in each match and hopefully we can go far and maybe even win it. ⊲
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DO WNLOAD THE ADIDAS APP NO W
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29/07/2019 15:
INTERVIEW
Our no.18 was on target against Leicester City when they were league opponents last year...
Leicester are in the Championship but, as you know well from last year, teams from that division can beat sides from the WSL in this competition... We’ve seen that as well this season with Sheffield United and Aston Villa. They’re very good teams and it’s a good league. Leicester have some really good youngsters. It’ll be a tough game, but if we still stick to our game plan, hopefully we can beat them.
...while her brilliant recent volley against Reading had the crowd on their feet here at Leigh Sports Village
“I DON’T THINK [EVERTON] WAS OUR BEST PERFORMANCE, BUT IT SHOWS WE CAN WIN WHEN WE’RE NOT AT OUR BEST”
Have you seen much of Leicester this year? I’ve seen some highlights. They’ve signed a few England youngsters and some of the players in our team have played with some of theirs, so we know all about them.
us how together we need to be. We all love each other on and off the pitch and we all get along. We’re all there pushing each other and if things aren’t going right we’re all there for each other. It’s great to be a part of.
Tell us about your last game in tonight’s competition, a 3-0 away win against Everton... I don’t think it was our best performance, but it shows that we can win when we’re not at our best. We just need to believe in ourselves and keep going.
A busy period of fixtures is ahead, up until the middle of December. Do you look at this as a potentially defining part of the season? Leading up to Christmas we’ve got some tough games. We’ve got to be focused – stick together, do our recovery properly and focus on each game as it comes: win one game, then on to the next. It’ll be a quick turnaround but we’ve got great support, great staff and equipment to help us recover. We’re all looking forward to it.
The team celebrations when the ball goes in the net suggests there is real camaraderie there... We’ve done a lot of team bonding and Casey always tells
Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 25
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17/11/2019 21:30
Change “I want it” to “Can I afford it?” BarclayPlus children’s account for 11 to 15 year olds. Change the conversation. Search BarclayPlus. Let’s go forward
Barclays Bank UK PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 759676). Registered in England. Registered No. 9740322. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Item Ref: 9916727_UK. July 2019.
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30/08/2019 09:38
SIOBHAN CHAMBERLAIN
SHIV’S The international break flew by, but I found the time to see England pack out Wembley – while avoiding a labour-inducing day out with the United squad! Everyone keeps asking A total of 77,768 fans were me how long I’ve got left undeterred by the poor weather to watch the of my pregnancy and I Lionesses at Wembley say, ‘oh, it’s ages away still, next year’... but next year is creeping up very quickly, and it’s definitely time I organised my life! This needs to start with stealing my husband’s office to turn it into a nursery, so I’m planning on giving him a nudge to clear it this week. For many footballers, the international break always seems a good time to get organised in life, but it often goes in the blink of an eye and it’s back to normality. For me right now, ‘normality’ is keeping busy behind the scenes, and I’m really enjoying taking photos of the squad, both in training and on matchday. Thankfully for me, being pregnant got me out of the recent ‘Spooky World’ team-bonding day. As a couple of the girls told me, it was probably a good job I wasn’t there – it was so terrifying, it could have sent me into early labour! Everyone seemed to ‘enjoy’ themselves in the end, so I hear, and MUTV were there filming it, so be sure to keep an eye out for that as I’m sure it’ll be pretty entertaining. One thing I did make sure to do during the international break was watch the England game against Germany. Unfortunately I couldn’t
make it down to Wembley, but to watch it all on television and see close to 80,000 fans supporting the girls was just amazing. I remember making my senior debut away in Holland in 2004 and I think there were probably about 10 people there watching. It’s fantastic to see how the game is growing. Things are just as positive here at United and it would be good to see another healthy crowd under the floodlights this evening. Games between us and Leicester last season were high-scoring affairs and hopefully this will be no different. Whenever anyone plays us here at Leigh they always raise their game, though, so there’s no doubt it’ll be a tough 90 minutes. I was so pleased to see Casey sign a new contract earlier this month, although it comes as no surprise considering how the last 17 months has gone. It’s an exciting place to be at the moment and with Casey at the forefront I sense it’s going to be a great few years coming up. Finally, I’d just like to say congratulations to Kirsty Hanson and Amy T on their individual WSL and PFA awards. October was an incredible month for the team, and for two of our players to be recognised in such a way makes us all very proud.
Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 27
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PLAYER PROFILES
MEET THE 2019/20 SQUAD This evening we shine a light on the first player to reach 20 goals for the Reds...
27
1
13
22
SIOBHAN CHAMBERLAIN
EMILY RAMSEY
FRAN BENTLEY
Position Goalkeeper DOB 15/8/1983 Nationality English
Position Goalkeeper DOB 16/11/2000 Nationality English
Position Goalkeeper DOB 26/6/2001 Nationality English
15
2
3
MARY EARPS
AURORA MIKALSEN
MARTHA HARRIS
LOTTA OKVIST
Position Goalkeeper DOB 7/3/1993 Nationality English
Position Goalkeeper DOB 21/3/1996 Nationality Norwegian
Position Full-back DOB 19/8/1994 Nationality English
Position Full-back DOB 17/2/1997 Nationality Swedish
4
5
20
AMY TURNER
ABBIE McMANUS
KIRSTY SMITH
Position Centre-back DOB 4/7/1991 Nationality English
Position Centre-back DOB 14/1/1993 Nationality English
Position Full-back DOB 6/1/1994 Nationality Scottish
21 MILLIE TURNER Position Centre-back DOB 7/7/1996 Nationality English
28 Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women
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PLAYER PLAYERPROFILES PROFILES
8
10
12
14
MOLLIE GREEN
KATIE ZELEM
HAYLEY LADD
JACKIE GROENEN
Position Midfield DOB 4/8/1997 Nationality English
Position Midfield DOB 20/1/1996 Nationality English
Position Mid/defence DOB 6/10/1993 Nationality Welsh
Position Midfield DOB 17/12/1994 Nationality Dutch
7
9
ELLA TOONE
JESSICA SIGSWORTH
Position Mid/forward DOB 2/9/1999 Nationality English
Position Forward DOB 13/10/1994 Nationality English
16
17
While Jess had top-flight experience from her time with hometown club Doncaster Belles, on the back of consecutive titles and Golden Boots in the second tier she now looks ready to thrive in the WSL. Whether deployed in a wide forward role or as a traditional no.9, few players in the division can match her strength on the ball, and she’s looked composed in front of goal so far this season.
18
11 LEAH GALTON Position Winger DOB 24/5/1994 Nationality English
19
LAUREN JAMES
LIZZIE ARNOT
KIRSTY HANSON
JANE ROSS
Position Mid/forward DOB 29/9/2001 Nationality English
Position Winger DOB 1/3/1996 Nationality Scottish
Position Winger DOB 17/4/1998 Nationality Scottish
Position Forward DOB 18/9/1989 Nationality Scottish
Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 29
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OPPOSITION
Winger Leigh Dugmore slides in against City on matchday one
TONIGHT’S VISITORS
LEICESTER CITY The Foxes have endured a painful start to the League Cup, and tonight they’ll be hoping for a better result than the 6-1 loss when they last lined up in Leigh Leicester’s elevation to the Championship in the summer of 2018 came about following the expansion of England’s top two divisions, and on the back of a respectable seventh-place finish last term the Foxes would have started the current campaign with their sights set a bit higher in what appears to be a more open second tier. This season did start poorly for them, however, with three chastening league defeats – 5-1 to Durham, 7-1 to Sheffield United and 3-1 to London City Lionesses – but they have steadied the ship in the league in recent weeks, with a battling 3-3 draw against London Bees followed by a narrow 2-1 reverse to Crystal Palace, before two encouraging away results came their way: 3-0 at Lewes, and 1-1 at Charlton four days ago. Head coach Jonathan Morgan has rotated his side on a regular basis so far this season, particularly for
their Continental League Cup ties, and with Leicester effectively out of the competition he might be tempted to do the same tonight, while also knowing that an away tie against a WSL team will be beneficial for the development of every young player within his 21-strong squad. Between the sticks, Scarlett Field has established herself as first choice in recent weeks, in front of a back four of Hayley James, Georgia Popple, Rachel Brown and
IN ATTACK, BAILEY-GAYLE AND SMITH OFFER MUCH-NEEDED WIDTH EITHER SIDE OF EX-ARSENAL STRIKER PAUL
30 Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women
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OPPOSITION
Dugmore nst City one
Y
y’ll gh
Lucy Johnson. Leicester have switched formation in the middle of late, and Morgan could be tempted to go with a three tonight, in an effort to prevent an overload in the centre of the park. In such a set-up, Northern Ireland international Nat Johnson could provide the defensive base, alongside former Millwall player Lia Cataldo, with Annabel Blanchard in a more advanced role, just behind the Foxes’ forward line.
FLOURISHING TEENS UP TOP Leicester’s attacking roster has been notably tweaked for their League Cup outings, but with just a solitary goal to show alongside nine concessions across their first two Group C ties, don’t be surprised to see Morgan pick his strongest front three at Leigh Sports Village. Right now that leading trio is a very youthful one – Paige Bailey-Gayle, Libby Smith and Lachante Paul (see right) – with the flourishing teenagers being a real positive for Leicester so far this season, No.11 Paul currently leads the way in their 2019/20 scoring charts, and looks at her best as a central attacker, where she can use her pace to push the opposition defence back. Smith and Bailey-Gayle offer much-needed width either side of ex-Arsenal striker Paul, and they will aim to keep United’s full-backs occupied, while Blanchard, in a no.10 role, looks to provide the creativity to let Paul flourish.
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ONE TO WATCH LACHANTE PAUL
THE MANAGER JONATHAN MORGAN
Paul has been a key player this term, with her latest goal being a thumping header at Charlton five days ago. The 17-year old striker arrived in July, joining from Arsenal’s Academy. Her good scoring form with the Gunners’ youth team caught the eye, but with so much competition at the London club, she was allowed to leave, and Leicester worked hard to secure her signature. “She’s got a feistiness to her game – attitude, aggression, passion,” says Morgan of Paul, who will be hoping to test herself against United’s backline.
Morgan has worked his way up through the club, after previously serving as reserve team manager, and he was appointed first-team boss ahead of 2014/15, with Leicester in the fourth tier. Morgan guided the Foxes to promotion to the third level in 2016, and following a second-place finish in ’17/18 he boosted his reputation further by taking the Foxes to the second tier. Previously a player with Hinckley Town, he deserves much credit for establishing the Foxes as a solid Championship outfit, and is a popular figure around the club.
17/11/2019 21:41
FAPlayer.tv *BT Sport games will have audio commentary only on The FA Player in the UK.
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STATISTICS
TABLES & PLAYER STATISTICS
FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE TABLE
Teams
P
1 Chelsea
W D L GD Pts
APPEARANCES/GOALS 2019/20 Player
League
FA Cup
League Cup
Total
App Gls App Gls App Gls App Gls
Lizzie Arnot
0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0(1) 0
Mary Earps
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
Leah Galton
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
Jackie Groenen
4 0 0 0 2 0 6 0
Martha Harris
3 0 0 0 2 0 5 0
6 5 1 0 9 16
Kirsty Hanson
3(3) 2 0 0 2 0 5(3) 2
2 Manchester City 6 5 0 1 11 15
Lauren James
4(2) 1 0 0 1 1 5(2) 2
3 Arsenal
6 5 0 1 8 15
Hayley Ladd
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
6 Everton
6 4 0 2 4 12
Abbie McManus
5 0 0 0 2 0 7 0
5 Manchester United 6 3 0 3 4 9
Lotta Okvist
6 Tottenham Hotspur 6 3 0 3 -2 9
Jane Ross
2(3) 1 0 0 0(2) 0 2(5) 1
7 Reading
Jess Sigsworth
3(3) 1 0 0 1(1) 1 4(4) 2
5 2 1 2 -2 7
2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
8 West Ham United 6 2 0 4 -7 6
Kirsty Smith
9 Brighton
Ella Toone
3(3) 0 0 0 0(2) 0 3(5) 0
10 Birmingham City 5 1 0 4 -6 3
Amy Turner
4(2) 0 0 0 2 1 6(2) 1
11 Bristol City
6 0 3 3 -7 3
Millie Turner
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
12 Liverpool
6 0 1 5 -7 1
Katie Zelem
6 1 0 0 2 2 8 3
6 1 2 3 -5 5
CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CUP GROUP C
Teams
P
W
L
Pns* GD Pts
3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
UNITED CAREER APPEARANCES/GOALS
1 Manchester United 2 2 0 0/0 5 6
Player
App Gls App Gls App Gls App Gls
2 Manchester City
3
2 1 0/0 +4 6
Lizzie Arnot
12(5) 6 1(1) 0 3(3) 1 16(9) 7
3 Birmingham City
3
2 1 0/0 +4 6
Fran Bentley
0(1) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0(2) 0
4 Everton
2 0 2 0/0 -4 0
Siobhan Chamberlain 18 0 3 0 6 0 27 0
5 Leicester City
2 0 2 0/0 -9 0
Mary Earps
(*Drawn games settled by penalties – 2pts to winner; 1pt to loser)
ZELEM’S NO.1 FOR LEAGUE CUP SCORERS Seven Reds have scored for us in tonight’s competition across our eight previous ties, with Katie Zelem leading the way with three goals in eight appearances. Her most recent Continental League Cup strike came from the penalty spot in our win against Everton earlier this month, following on from October’s superb free-kick against Manchester City. Our no.10 also netted against Everton in last season’s away victory.
League
FA Cup
League Cup
Total
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
Leah Galton
16(4) 3 1(1) 0 5(2) 1 22(7) 4
Mollie Green
14(4) 13 3 1 6 2 23(4) 16
Jackie Groenen Kirsty Hanson
4 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 15(8) 7 2(1) 0 5(3) 0 22(12) 7
Martha Harris
15(3) 1
Lauren James
16(8) 15 0(3) 2 7 2 23(11) 19
3 0 6 0 24(3) 1
Hayley Ladd
6 0 0 0 2 0 8 0
Abbie McManus
5 0 0 0 2 0 7 0
Lotta Okvist
2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Emily Ramsey
2 0 0(1) 0 0 0 2(1) 0
Jane Ross
2(3) 1 0 0 0(2) 0 2(5) 1
Jess Sigsworth
18(7) 18
Kirsty Smith
16(3) 0 1(1) 0 5 0 22(4) 0
3
0 7(1) 2 28(8) 20
Ella Toone
19(7) 14 3 1 0(8) 0 22(15) 15
Amy Turner
20(2) 2 2 0 8 1 30(2) 3
Millie Turner
26 2 3 0 8 0 37 2
Katie Zelem
24 11 2 0 8 3 34 14
Manchester United Women v Leicester City Women 33
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18/11/2019 08:37
LINE-UP
ATTENDANCE
SCORE
VENUE
KICK-OFF
OPPOSITION
DATE
FIXTURES & LINE-UPS
AUGUST SEPTEMBER WSL Sat 7
Manchester City
3pm
A
0-1
31,213
Earps
Ladd
McManus
M Turner
Okvist
WSL Mon 16
Arsenal
7.30pm
H
0-1
2,530
Earps
A Turner
McManus
M Turner
Smith
Gro
Lad
WSL Sat 28
Liverpool
12pm
H
2-0
2,813
Earps
Smith
McManus
M Turner
Okvist
Lad
OCTOBER WSL Sun 13
Tottenham Hotspur
12.30pm A
3-0 x
1,299
Earps
Harris
A Turner
M Turner
Smith
Lad
CC
Manchester City
12pm
H
2-0
4,042
Earps
A Turner
McManus
M Turner
Harris
Lad
Reading
12.30pm H
2-0
1,997
Earps
A Turner
McManus
M Turner
Harris
Lad
Sun 20
WSL Sun 27
NOVEMBER CC
Sun 3
Everton
12.30pm A
3-0
361
Earps
A Turner 1
McManus
M Turner
Harris
Lad
WSL
Sun 17
Chelsea
2pm
A
0-1
4,790
Earps
A Turner
McManus
M Turner
Harris
Lad
CC
Thu 21
Leicester City
7.30pm
H
Brighton
12pm
H
WSL Sun 24
DECEMBER WSL Sun 1
West Ham United
3pm
A
WSL Sun 8
Everton
12pm
H
CC
Birmingham City
7.30pm
A
Birmingham City
2pm
A
WSL Sun 5
Bristol City
12pm
H
WSL Sun 12
Liverpool
12pm
A
Wed 11
WSL Sun 15
JANUARY
CC 15/16 Quarter-final
WSL Sun 19
Tottenham Hotspur
H
FA
Round four
CC 29/30 Semi-final
Sun 26
12pm
FEBRUARY WSL Sun 2
Reading
2pm
A
WSL Sun 9
Chelsea
12pm
H
WSL Wed 12
Brighton
7.45pm
A
FA
Round five
Sun 16
WSL Sun 23
Everton
CC
Final
Sat 29
12.30pm A N
MARCH Quarter-final
WSL Sun 22
West Ham United
12pm
H
WSL Sun 29
Manchester City
12pm
H
WSL Sun 5
Arsenal
2pm
A
FA
Semi-final
Bristol City
A
FA
Sun 15
APRIL Sun 19
WSL Sun 26
3pm
MAY FA
Sat 9
WSL Sat 16
Final
N
Birmingham City
H
CONTACT US via email
TBC
Message and picture requests: MUWomenfamily@manutd.co.uk
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Ticket information: Call 0161 868 8000 or visit ManUtd.com/Tickets
18/11/2019 08:38
WSL - Women’s Super League
Scorers Bold
First sub
CC - FA Continental League Cup
Penalty •
Second sub
FA - Women’s FA Cup
x Own goal
Third sub
* after extra-time
Yellow/red card
SUBS USED
KEY:
Groenen Ladd
Zelem
Toone
Sigsworth
Ross
Zelem
Toone
Sigsworth
Ross
Sigsworth
James 1
James
Ladd Zelem 1 • Toone
Galton
A Turner
Galton James Galton
Hanson
James
Hanson
-
A Turner
Hanson
-
Ladd
Zelem Groenen
Ladd
Zelem 1 Groenen
Hanson
Ladd
Zelem
Groenen
Groenen
Hanson James 1
Ladd
Zelem 1 •
Ladd
Zelem
Groenen
FOLLOW US online
Hanson 1
Hanson 1
Hanson
Galton
Sigsworth 1 James
James
Facebook: manutdwomen
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Sigsworth
Galton
Ross
Toone
Arnot
Galton Sigsworth 1 Ross Galton
Twitter: @manutdwomen
Toone
Galton Sigsworth
YouTube: /ManUtd
Toone
Toone
Sigsworth Toone
Ross 1
Ross
Ross
Instagram: @manutdwomen
18/11/2019 08:38
MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN
Siobhan CHAMBERLAIN (GK) Martha HARRIS Lotta OKVIST Amy TURNER Abbie McMANUS Ella TOONE Mollie GREEN Jessica SIGSWORTH Katie ZELEM Leah GALTON Hayley LADD Emily RAMSEY (GK) Jackie GROENEN Aurora MIKALSEN (GK) Lauren JAMES Lizzie ARNOT Kirsty HANSON Jane ROSS Kirsty SMITH Millie TURNER Fran BENTLEY (GK) Maria EDWARDS Chloe WILLIAMS Mary EARPS (GK)
LEICESTER CITY WOMEN 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 27
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 21 23 25 27 31 32
Demi LAMBOURNE (GK) Grace RIGLAR Nat JOHNSON Aimee EVERETT Holly MORGAN Lia CATALDO Anneka NUTTALL Simran JHAMAT Libby SMITH Annabel BLANCHARD Lachante PAUL Hayley JAMES Scarlett FIELD (GK) Leigh DUGMORE Freya THOMAS Paige BAILEY-GAYLE Rachel BROWN Annie TAYLOR Lucy JOHNSON Georgia POPPLE Zaiga LACITE Ellie YORK Taylor CHARLTON (GK)
MATCH OFFICIALS: Referee Peter Shacklady Assistants Lucy-Anne Briggs, Cristiana Hattersley • Fourth official Barry Lamb
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17/11/2019 21:45